“It’s funny how things work themselves out,” says Matt Miller, contemplating a life that over the past 12 months has taken some dramatic turns. After years as a traveling racer and making a living at the top levels of the sport, Miller is today a happy guy, racing locally around his Whitehouse, Ohio, home and finding a long-sought balance between motorsports and real life.

Miller is coming off an impressive weekend, capturing the $4,800-to-win Barney Oldfield race at Oakshade Raceway. He MORE

The days have grown hot and the arc of the sun seems to reach straight overhead, leading dogs to seek a shady spot with tongue extended. Evening brings little relief as fireflies compete with mosquitoes for Midwestern airspace.

All of this can mean only one thing: Summernationals is upon us.

That’s wonderful news for race fans and vendors of gasoline and beer. But for racers it is a time to draw in a deep breath and get ready for 29 races over a span of 32 hectic days. If you look at the UMP MORE